1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tamper-proof caps for bottles. More particularly, this invention includes technical and functional improvements especially developed for the optimization of a specific type of cap with sealing device attached. The present invention is to be used in various types of disposable or recyclable bottles made of glass or plastic for food products or not, including drugs and similar products, all presenting easy flow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As it is known, there are various types of caps with sealing devices attached to the lower end of the base. Many caps include where the sealing device can be a belt or ring consisting in a continuation of the cylindrical base of the body of the cap, attached thereto only by xe2x80x9cbridgesxe2x80x9d or small breakable xe2x80x9clinkagesxe2x80x9d, with various articulated trapezoidal blades in the internal side. Each blade includes the largest side interconnected to the sealing device or articulated ring, while the smallest side is radially oriented inward, with a certain inclination upward. These blades, in addition to being positioned near the lower end of the sealing device, are also distributed equidistantly. The blades function as the main locking component between the cap and the bottleneck. In other words, when screwing the cap to the neck, the blades articulate upwards to a vertical position. However, this occurs only when the blades are passing through a circular locking groove or collar existent in the neck of the bottle and, after passing through said circular collar, the blades tend to return to a horizontal position. Therefore, each blade is inclined inward sufficiently to touch the wall of the neck and under the circular collar. This demonstrates the irreversible lock between the cap and the bottle because when the cap is unscrewed, the free vanes of the blades are sustained under said collar. Further, upon the continuity of the unscrewing process, the belt of the base is separated, which means that the sealing device is ruptured in the linkages. Accordingly, the cap may be totally unscrewed, as well as the sealing device, which demonstrates the first opening of the cap.
There is no doubt that the caps manufactured according to the current technique have sufficient details for the correct closing of the bottle, which makes it inviolable or tamper-proof However, there is an inconvenience defined herein as xe2x80x9cplacement attrition.xe2x80x9d In other words, during the bottling process, or more specifically during the closing or sealing process of the bottle, it was possible to verify that the placement of the conventional cap by high-speed machines resulted in bottling failures or a xe2x80x9cconsiderable attrition.xe2x80x9d As such placement attrition occurs during the bottling process, special corrective measures including additional mechanical components are often required to alleviate such attrition.
When applying a conventional cap, it shall be screwed until the end, in order that its vanes may be locked under the collar. Therefore, the surface of each blade slides on the corresponding parts of the bottle, which demonstrates an attrition coefficient substantially high in each blade.
To solve the aforementioned problem, the cap described in the Brazilian document M.U. 8.001.668-5 dated Aug. 15, 2000 was created where a constructive disposal was especially developed in order to drastically reduce the attrition coefficient. Therefore, each one of its vanes has its external side (or the side towards the wall of the neck) with an anti-attrition thread or flange, positioned medianly (attached along a central axis) and developed from its articulated base to the open edge. With this detail, a special effect is produced in each vane during the process of application of the caps by high-speed machines. Specifically, the coupling of the cap occurs with low attrition because the contact area between the vane and the neck or collar of the neck is limited only to the thread.
On the other hand, although the thread has been developed in order to reduce the attrition between the cap and the collar of the bottle, a new improvement was verified. In other words, with the introduction of the thread, the blade reinforced its structure. The thread functions as a reinforcement, which means that even if the vane has a reduced thickness, its locking effect is maintained efficiently.
Although the cap has fulfilled different objectives and solved a specific technical problem, after some time it was possible to verify that some of its characteristics could be improved even more, since as it is known, tamper-proof or inviolable plastic caps with various configurations are available on the market. However, all of them, including the type aforementioned, do not have specific characteristics for the recycling process thereof, nor other specific details that, additionally to the contribution for an easier opening, removal and, use of the cap do not present means for the complete destruction of the sealing ring.
In general, when the caps used on the market are opened including the aforementioned cap, the ring remains attached to the neck. In this condition, the set offers conditions and certain facility to violate the package, logically upon the xe2x80x9creassemblingxe2x80x9d, which is the bonding of the ring to the lower edge of the cap Further, after that, the cap is replaced on the bottle, providing to any unprepared person the impression of having an apparently intact cap. However, in caps with similar characteristics, which means with border or sealing ring with thick wall similar to the thickness of the cylindrical wall of the cover, these points are vertically weakened.
To solve the above mentioned problem, the technical analysis also included different caps with violable sealing ring in the vertical position, however, these points vertically weakened are created through a vertical cutting and/or notching process using a complicated mechanical cutting systems with knife. Such cutting systems, even considering automation, are significantly involved in the manufacturing process of the cap, as the vertical cutting process requires specific equipment and a process control point, and it is not easily repeated.
One aspect of this invention is to improve the vertical weakening points of the sealing belt.
A second aspect of this invention is to eliminate the entire knife cutting process for the formation of points vertically weakened.
A third aspect of the invention is to form breakable vertical points in the sealing belt concomitantly to the injection process of the cap.
A fourth aspect of the invention is to provide a strategic distribution of the set of vertically weakened points, in order that each one of them may be positioned and oriented adequately between the spaces of the internal blades.
A fifth aspect of the invention is to define an efficient cross section to each vertically weakened point, provided that the cross section shall combine two details. The cross section details include one in the internal side and other in the external side, both as relief of material. The internal and external sides form a weakened vertical line designed for breaking the sealing belt, considering that both internal and external sides are obtained concomitantly to the injection process of the cap, therefore creating an advantageous way for defining a cap with sealing belt breakable in various vertical points.
This improved cap, in addition to solving a few inconveniences related to the usual caps, is also designed to resolve the recycling problem and provide ease for the opening, removal, and use of the cap, and destructing the sealing ring in sections. Consequently, the details demonstrating the opening of the bottle are substantially more evident, and due to the destruction of the sealing belt, its reconstitution in a possible attempt of violation of the content of the bottle is impossible.
With the alterations proposed herein, when opening the bottle, the vertical rupture of the sealing belt occurs in one or more locations and, at the same time, the partial separation of the ring of the cap also occurs due to the rupture of the internal vanes.
With these characteristics, this cap is ideal for the burgeoning market of recyclable bottles and also for the present great need for producing packages with superior post-consumption recycling characteristics.